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The Pigeon, by John Galsworthy.
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About charity, religion, heart, practical facts, ..... and human nature that refuses to fit into definitions, boundaries, principles, or even practical necessities!
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"FERRAND. Ah! Monsieur, I am loafer, waster—what you like—for all that [bitterly] poverty is my only crime. If I were rich, should I not be simply veree original, 'ighly respected, with soul above commerce, travelling to see the world? And that young girl, would she not be "that charming ladee," "veree chic, you know!" And the old Tims—good old-fashioned gentleman—drinking his liquor well. Eh! bien—what are we now? Dark beasts, despised by all. That is life, Monsieur. [He stares into the fire.]"
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"FERRAND. [Eagerly.] Monsieur, it is just that. You understand. When we are with you we feel something—here—[he touches his heart.] If I had one prayer to make, it would be, Good God, give me to understand! Those sirs, with their theories, they can clean our skins and chain our 'abits—that soothes for them the aesthetic sense; it gives them too their good little importance. But our spirits they cannot touch, for they nevare understand. Without that, Monsieur, all is dry as a parched skin of orange."
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"FERRAND. Monsieur, of their industry I say nothing. They do a good work while they attend with their theories to the sick and the tame old, and the good unfortunate deserving. Above all to the little children. But, Monsieur, when all is done, there are always us hopeless ones. What can they do with me, Monsieur, with that girl, or with that old man? Ah! Monsieur, we, too, 'ave our qualities, we others—it wants you courage to undertake a career like mine, or like that young girl's. We wild ones—we know a thousand times more of life than ever will those sirs.They waste their time trying to make rooks white. Be kind to us if you will, or let us alone like Mees Ann, but do not try to change our skins. Leave us to live, or leave us to die when we like in the free air. If you do not wish of us, you have but to shut your pockets and—your doors—we shall die the faster."
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This ASIN BOO84B3SGK belongs to The Pigeon, by John Galsworthy, publication by Public Domain; Goodreads did not yield that in search, and this edition of
Plays: Third Series: The Fugitive -- The Pigeon -- The Mob
by John Galsworthy
got created by mistake, despite that original existing in Goodreads catalogue and having been bought on Amazon as long ago as 2013. Why did Goodreads not bring up the book when searched by ASIN?
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June 08, 2021 - June , 2021.
Purchased August 12, 2013.
Kindle Edition, 87 pages
Published May 17th 2012
(first published 1912)
Original Title
The Pigeon: A Fantasy in Three Acts
ASIN:- B0084B3SGK
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